New West Ham manager Sam Allardyce left bemused by ‘bid’

Sam Allardyce says he is ‘bemused’ by rumours of a boardroom takeover battle just hours after being appointed West Hamâs new manager.

Sam Allardyce is at the centre of a boardroom feud after being appointed West Ham manager (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

The ink had barely dried on the two-year contract Allardyce signed at Upton Park when Tony Fernandes revealed he is trying to purchase the club.

The Malaysian entrepreneur, who owns Formula One team Lotus, already attempted to buy the club he supports last year.

But co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold claim no formal offer has been made to them and they branded Fernandesâ decision to utilise social media to announce his intentions as âbizarreâ.

Allardyce will certainly be hoping to avoid any boardroom upheaval. He fell foul of new owners when he was sacked by both Newcastle and Blackburn following takeovers by Mike Ashley and the Venkyâs group respectively.

The 56-year-old former Bolton boss said: âIâm bemused by the statement but my information, having spoken to David Sullivan, was that he was not wanting to sell West Ham. That was one of the reasons why I took the job. I didnât want any fractions in terms of change of ownerships because my reputation has already suffered, wrongly so.

âThey were new owners [at Newcastle and Blackburn] and they didnât want me. It wasnât down to results, it wasnât down to how I had performed as a manager.â

Of his appointment, Allardyce added: âI wouldnât have taken this job if I didnât think we could bounce straight back into the Premier League.â